Sikhi Inspiration

Three Kaurs. One Mission. Gur Prasad.

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What a wonderful blog :)

Thank you bhainji! Maharaaj Kirpa :)

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"gur kai sabadh man jeethiaa gath mukath gharai mehi paae ||"

Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, the mind is conquered, and one attains the State of Liberation in one's own home.

Picture: https://instagram.com/p/2QB2SuPEbX/?taken-by=crownandmane

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Real Life Sikh Stories - When Vaheguru Really Saved Me!

I’m nineteen years old, and an Architecture student in Sydney.  This is one of many the stories of how God has been present in my daily activities, carrying me through everything.The mid-semester break had finally arrived, and I had a whole-day design event in a distant place I had never been before, and one which was only really accessible by public transport.  None of my close university friends were going.  I had no idea how to get there, and even after looking up transport and directions, I was really unconfident. "Oh, well... I'll find my way!"On the way there, I was meant to meet a friend at the closest train station to the venue, so that we could walk to the bay together - it was a good, confusing, 15-minute walk down the busy city streets, toward the harbor.  The city, to me, is an unknown, noisy, frightening territory.  My friend bailed at the last minute.But thankfully, I had already met another friend on the train - he was right there, as I stepped onto a crowded train carriage while changing trains!  What were the chances of one out of the only two people I knew who were going, being on the same train, at the same time, on the same carriage as me?I was very relieved, and we walked to the venue together.The day went brilliantly.  I was part of a great team, met a whole lot of fantastic people, and did some seriously cool designing and building.It was now 4:30pm; the sun was starting to set, and we were wrapping up our designs.  The fear of walking back to the station, alone, in the dark, not familiar with the route, was looming over my mind.The event was to finish at 8:30pm, but I decided to leave at 7pm, to avoid travelling alone, late at night.I waved my goodbyes and stepped onto the wharf.  Darkness.  “All I have to do, is follow the directions on my phone, and keep walking until I get there,” I told myself.  But the fear was still there.I braced myself, told myself that God was with me - as always - and started walking.I had the map on my phone, but I felt more comfortable walking to the route I remembered from that morning.  But everything looked so different in the dark!  I walked for about seven minutes, up a really dark and lonely stairwell, and out onto the main road.  The streets were empty.Upon reaching the main road, the directions on my phone differed from the route I remembered.So, I started walking on the route I remembered.  "I'll be fine!" I thought.  "I'll just keep walking until I come to an intersection and see another road I remember!"So I turned right instead of left, and started walking down the road.My feet were aching from a long day of work, and my bag was heavy.  I was fatigued.  There seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel.I started worrying - panicking - as I came to a crossing.  I was lost.  I had no idea where I was.  I looked around to ask for help.  There was no one around.  Everything was closed.  I considered running back to the exhibition.But I didn't want to run around aimlessly - I only had so much energy left after the twelve-hour day.Here I was – a lone girl, in the midst of the big, black city.  The cars on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, rushed overhead, as did the thoughts through my mind.I was almost in tears, but the thought of God in the back of my mind was the only thing holding me together.Just then, a bus pulled up on the opposite side of the road.  It had been waved in by a lady – finally: a person in sight!  I realized that she did so, accidentally, as she then decided to no board the bus.  I looked up at the destination as displayed on the front of the bus.  "Railway Sq," read the sign at the front.  Finally!  Something familiar!  Railway Square is the heart of the city, and I frequent it on my way to and from university.  “I can just hop on this bus to Railway Square – only about a fifteen-minute drive from here – because I know the way home from there!”  The bus was about to pull away from the curb.  I ran like crazy across the road, and the driver, being very kind, waited.I was so relieved.  I hastily scanned my ticket, and sat down.  "Phew!"I was the only one on the bus.  But that didn't bother me.  I was now on the way to Railway Square!  I knew where to go from there!But I just wanted a final assurance from the driver, that I was, intact, headed to Railway Square."Is Railway Square the same as Central Station?" I asked, knowing the answer."Yes," he replied.  "But is that where you want to go?""Yes.""Oh, then you're actually better off catching the 431.""What?!" I thought.  We were already moving."How come," I said."This bus takes a really long route - through Kings Cross, [all these other unknown suburbs].""How long does it take?""One hour.""One hour?!""Yes.  But don't worry - I'll drop you at a stop where you can catch the 431."But I was worried that I would have to wait very long for the other bus!"Do you go to Circular Quay Station?" "I don't go right to it, but I do stop near it.""Okay, cool!  It would be great if you could just point me in the right direction.""Yes, of course I will."That driver was such a gentleman.A few minutes later, I got off near the station, thanked him, and started walking."You're better off going this way," he said, pointing.  I thanked him again, and then he drove off.  I walked briskly to the station, and remembered that I needed to buy a ticket.  There were only ticket machines - no booths.  The machine wouldn't read my card.  But luckily, my mum had given me more cash than I had asked for, so I used that.I ran to Platform 2, and heaved a sigh of relief.  At least now I knew where I was, and all I had to do, was change trains at Central, and ask my parents to pick me up at my local train station!I reached home at 9pm, that night – fourteen hours after I had stepped out of the house, that morning – and I was as grateful as could be.I saw God in my friend, that morning.  I saw God in the lady who stopped that bus accidentally and drew my attention to it.  I saw God in that bus driver.I swear there was a force-field around me, the whole day!  Everything went so well!  Vaheguru, Vaheguru, Vaheguru...This recount is riddled with little things that seem like coincidences now, but felt like miracles at the time that they took place.  And that’s exactly what the Grace of God does: it fills our lives with miracles – things that wouldn’t normally happen.  And how is the Grace of God attained?  Through faith in Him.  Once we put our faith in Him, knowing that He is ever-present and forever watching over us, we give Him permission to take control, and arrange all our affairs perfectly, while teaching us valuable lessons along the way that contribute toward our becoming better, stronger people.  I don’t believe in coincidence.  There is no such thing.  Everything is calculated by Divine Law; we reap what we sow.  If something happens – good or bad –  it is meant to happen.  And very rightly so.

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"When I got back from Khalsa Camp, I looked in the mirror. My eyes looked transparent, the colour a liquid brown. Looking in, I could see my cleansed soul, it felt like it had been washed thoroughly with water. For water is so pure. I felt new. And clean. Such is the power of Gursikh sangat." - Camper, Khalsa Camp Australia.

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Real Life Sikh Stories - How Sikhi Helped Me Overcome Struggle!

I was blessed to be born into a Gursikh family where both my parents were quite disciplined Sikhs. My mother wore a Dastaar and so naturally I wore one too at a very young age. Like I started wearing one when my head was big enough to support a Dastaar. So I guess I’ve never been with out my Dastaar ever since. My mother taught me how to do Nitnem and I am very grateful. My parents are the real reason I’m a Sikh. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t thing about how blessed I am to have had my parents as my parents.

My family and I moved to Australia when I was 7 and to tell you the truth it was a huge cultural shock. We moved to a very small town where there weren’t any girls like me. I was really really different. There weren’t many Indians just my relative and my family. I was the only girl in my town or even the whole district, wait, even the entire region that wore a Dastaar. No one had ever seen a girl wear a Dastaar before. I was bullied like crazy in Primary school. I remember the time when I used to go to bed every night with tears in my eyes. I was discriminated against because of my Dastaar. Kids hated me. I never made any friend in primary school. Yr 7 was the lonest year I had ever experienced in my life. To make things worse I got the chicken pox and no one would talk to me even after I was no longer contagious. People were crazy mean. I thought that high school would be cool and less traumatising than primary school. There were a group of girls that made it their business to annoy me, to bully me to the point where I started to ask if my life was even worth it. They bullied me so much that I even started to believe what they said about me. My crown was my glory my pride the only thing that made me who I was. With out it I was nothing. But because of those people I never went out of my house even to go shopping. I know it may sound like weakness to some but I never had any sangat to guide me, to teach me that they are all just plain stupid and to just ignore them. I had to figure it out myself. I desperately needed sangat at that time. My parents were all that I had but I was stupid and I never told them anything. One day I got up. Did my Nitnem and jumped on my Computer and started typing about anything that my parents had told me about Sikhi. I spent ages and ages on the internet and I learnt so much about Sikhi and its rich history. My Nana ji and Nani ji had brought some books from India bout the Martyrs of Sikhi and Stories about my Gurus. So as an escape I read them over and over and over again. I read the heart breaking stories of my Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Sahibzade and other great Gursikhs of my amazing faith. I read Bhai Radhir Singh Ji’s stories too. But my suicidal thoughts just grew and grew. I realise now that I was in depression. I cried and cried and got angry with myself. I seriously thought that I was the problem with this world. To this day I doubt my self all the time. I have serious self-confidence issues and can’t talk to new people easily but I’m really good at hiding that. I don’t care what those girls did to me, I’ve forgotten it already, but I will never forget how they made me feel. They really hurt me. I had never told anyone about my depression. I didn’t know what it was, really. The thing that saved me was when I went to Amritsar, I think. My Nani Ji had just passed away I was torn to bits at that point. My family and I went to the Dasbar Sahib and I got this crazy over whelming felling the first time I got a glimpse of Harmandir Sahib. I was home. I was seriously home. I was crazy happy. I didn’t even feel sad for the entire trip. I did my most important Ardaas to my Guru then and I told myself never again will I give anyone the power to hurt me. There was no special person that change my life no experience. Just my Guru. I told myself on that day that I was worth something. My Guru gave me this life and there are bound to be obstacles and huge challenges but I am a Sikh and Sikhs always remain in Chardi Kalla and get through thing like a BOSS! One thing that I learn though out my life is when you find Sadh sangat never let go of it. Never walk with a slouch, seriously. Walk with humility but with pride (never ego). Be kind and never forget who you are and never forget your Nitnem. Do ardass to Waheguru to keep you strong and in Chardi kalla everyday and you will become so strong that nothing can ever hurt you. - KK.

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Real Life Sikh Stories - Discovering Sikhi

Sometimes we think highly of our ability to think, until we truly reflect on the past. Every individual shares a special story, and we find their stories all the more interesting once we realize how alike our lives are. Here's my life in a nutshell. I'm a young adult, had everything going for me in life but the small things left me puzzled and I truly believed that I was content with myself until recently. I belong to a punjabi family (a few years ago I would've said a Sikh family because that’s what I was programmed to think). My dads side of family are just as confused about their beliefs as are my mums side. They drink, go mandirs, they bow down to baba's, they have murtiya in the house (luckily I don’t have many friends so it saves the embarrassment), they think Indira gandhi was a good PM for India… Lol, you can take a minute to digest that if you like. Being born into this confused mediocre-type family, it didn’t stop me from learning about other values and beliefs, I was always curious of how different faiths interpreted different things. Funny thing is though the only recollection of Sikhi in my childhood was going to gurudwara to wear a new suit, or when starting highschool I began reading english translations of Nitnem bani (didn’t even know what Nitnem was then) in order to earn myself some plus points from God so that he can make me prettier. So vain and lame, I know. The real deal towards Sikhi for me was sangat, duh!

I had this one friend who was completely unique from the rest of the people I interacted with, she had self-respect and some seriously stern values. Slowly I started feeling this emotion that I had never dealt with before, guilt. I started feeling guilty after sinning, which wasn’t me because my life's motto was YOLO - sad times. With solid kirpa Guru ji somehow led me to enroll my younger sister (she's pretty cool by the way, not like the rest of my family) and I into Khalsa Camp Australia. Unaware of what I was getting myself into and not really knowing the people at camp, I didn’t exactly want to go. However, the SANGAT, that aura I received from those people I'd never met was the most surreal experience of my existence. I didn’t experience it at my local gurudwara either, which is upsetting, but this experience helped me recognize God. Nek minnit (two months later for that matter) I took amrit.

I can tell you why amrit is a great idea for you, but for me its something I cannot explain because I don’t entirely know why I was blessed with it or why I decided to go through with it in the first place, I just knew it was the right thing for me. All my life I'd been listening to that other voice in my head, the voice that thought twice about everything that involves commitment and hard work and instead took the easy and ignorant way out. I didn’t want to do that this time. It was a now or never kind of thing and I don’t regret it, moreover, its definitely not as hard as punjabis make it out to be.My parents are still to this day unsupportive about me receiving amrit as they reckon I won't get married, or get a job or because they don't know what to tell people why my sister and I have amrit shak'd and they haven't but none of that matters. Guruji has given me thr strength to face them and the rest of the society and he only makes things easier if you fall in love with him.

Sure I should have a better rehat, sure I am still lazy as hell, but if its anything we should accept it is that everyone has been gifted with a dissimilar journey in their lives respectively to who they are and their past actions. What one person finds difficult isn't to another because Guru ji has assigned us with a distinct path with unmatched obstacles. In the end, the Guru Granth Sahib ji has all the answers, if ever in doubt just go to your 11th Guru and definitely do not wait for adversity to punch you in the face before you do so. No matter what you’ve committed, if Dhan Dhan Guru Nanak dev ji can save a cannibal from barricading his conscious , hell yeah he can save you too. I pray that someday you can look back at your life and also reflect on how Guru ji loves you unconditionally and how he has saved you from this Kaljugi duniya:) Vaheguroo ji ka Khalsa, Vaheguroo ji ki Fateh. RK

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Real Life Stories- Realisation of what Sikhi means to me

"They say when we are born we cry in pain from being separated from The One. We cry and scream its name “oank”= “oankar” - but as we see the world more and more, we forget The One and are engrossed in the tricks of this world, the false beauty that we run behind. I sit here thinking way back to my childhood and my journey to my first step towards my guru “TAKING AMRIT”. Is it truely that I did this? No .... Did I take amrit? No ... I was blessed by Guru Ji and soo thankful that he chose me for such a pure path.. I was born in a Sikh family, my dad was from a hindu family and he and his family were blessed by Guru Ji where he took Amrit in highschool. But what does it really mean to be a Sikh? I was always surrounded by the sadh sangat of gursikhs from a very young age but my mind always wandered not realising what the truth is. I grew up learning the kirtan and attending gurmat camps, but the pull of the world was soo strong that I was blindend by these worldy things. I was 14 when we moved to Australia, we went through a very hard time, without realising I became a woman from a girl. I was a lost soul, I was so blank and felt utterly sad. I became less attached to the world, staying in my own little bubble. We went to Melbourne samagam and I sang kirtan with the sadh sanagt, I prayed and prayed, like a fool I prayed for a happy life, hah what is a happy life? I prayed for my parents -and the shabad was being recited and the teachings said how without Amrit this janam is a waste. I cried begging Guru Ji for something - I don’t know what I wanted.. We lived with a chardikalla gursikh and there were discourses of churasi lakh junna and I sat there thinking how many years I had already wasted and how many more I will be without Guru Ji ... That year I took amrit and everything changed.... Amrit is not the last step it is the first.. and I everyday take one more step towards my Guru, still challenged by worldy powers but I know the Guru Ji will always hold my hand and pull me through the dark times - Such is the power of Amrit... "

HK

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Real Life Sikh Stories

VJKK VJKF guys,  We have recently got into contact with some people who are willing to share their personal accounts of how Sikhi has helped them/how they came into Sikhi. In the upcoming weeks, we aim to share these accounts and hopefully inspire people. If you would also like to contribute to this initiative, please inbox us or email us at [email protected].  Much Love,  The sikhiinspiration team <3

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"Arrival in the world is really a departure and that, which we call departure, is only a return."

-The Great Departure by Chuang Moolpinit

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Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh Amazing blog ji :-)

Vaheguroo! All his Kirpa ji :)

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Guru Har Rai Ji on the importance of reciting Baani!

One time someone asked Guru Har Rai a question about this. They asked, “Guru ji, may I ask a question?” Of course the Guru lovingly allowed the question, "We always sing so much Gurbani. Sometimes we don't understand what we are singing. Is there any use in singing these holy words when we don't know what they mean?”

Guru ji didn't answer at that moment, he just smiled and waited till he could teach by showing. Rather than just preaching to us, Guru ji always teaches us through experience.

He waited a few days until everyone was riding somewhere together on their horses. Guru ji had them all stop and asked, “Do you see that pot over there?” “Yes, my Guru, that broken pot on the ground? Yes I see it!" “Go bring a piece of the pot.” One of the Sikhs brought a piece of the clay pot over. The pot used to have butter in it, ghee actually. It had been laying in the sun and the ghee had melted into the sides of the pot. The shiny ghee left a streak down the inside of the piece.

Guru ji explained, “This is what happens when we sing Gurbani.” The Sikhs wondered what he meant by that. He continued, “Even when we don't understand Gurbani... when we sing it with devotion... it still sticks to our hearts, just as the ghee stuck to this pot." They began to understand why he had them bring the greasy piece of pot over, "Someday the sunlight of knowledge will come to our minds and then, just like this ghee, it will melt... and the Gurbani in our hearts will turn to wisdom."

Guru ji showed them the great benefit of Gurbani, "Even if we don't understand it, Gurbani is the seed of our liberation.”

Source: http://www.sikhnet.com/stories/audio/guru-har-rai-and-pot

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During Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s stay at Damdama Sahib a faqir (saint) came to do darshan of Guru Ji. The poem sung in the video is the conversation that took place between Guru Ji and the faqir. As at this point in history Guru Ji sacrificed his family, wealth and home. The faqir is eager to learn with what is Guru Ji in love with then?..

Damdama means a place to have a break. After leaving the fort of Sri Anandpur Sahib and passing through Chamkaur Sahib, Maachiwara, Deena Kangar, followed by the historic Mukatsar battle. Guru Ji finally rested here.

Live recording of Bhai Harinder Singh Ji Nirvair Khalsa Jatha UK from day 3 of the Guru Manyo Granth Chetna Samagam that took place in Glasgow on 3/1/14. Divaan recorded by Sangat TV.

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Dhan Dhan Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji <3

Guru Gobind Singh Ji made countless sacrifices for his Sikhs and the Sikh Panth. He lost his father, mother, four sons. He accepted this as the hukam and till his last breath served Vaheguru and his panth. The king of kings, Guru Gobind Singh Ji!

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so prabh naerai hoo thae naerai || God is the nearest of the near.

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Hari Singh Nalwa and Begam Bano

During the times of Sher-e-Panjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Raaj (kingdom) stretched from the Sutlej River to Kabul (in Afghanistan). Raja Ranjit Singh's key general was Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa, who was a Rehatvan (strictly observant) Sikh of the Guru.

Once, when Hari Singh Nalwa had set up camp with his army in Jamrud in Afghanistan, a local Muslim woman called 'Bano' had watched the Sikhs set up camp. She found Hari Singh Nalwa very handsome and attractive, and had the thought that the commander of the Sikhs would be a fine man by which to have a child, hopefully a son.

One day, Bano came to see the General who was sitting in his tent. When his guards told him that he had a local woman who wished to see him, not knowing who this lady was or what she wanted, Hari Singh gave permission for her to enter his tent. Bano said, "I have heard of the Sikhs. You are remarkable people. I have been watching you from a distance. I am not married and have no children, but I desire to have a son who is like you."

Hari Singh, not understanding the motivation or intention of Bano said, "May Waheguru bless you that you may have a son with the qualities of a Sikh." Bano irritably said, "No I want to have a son with you Sardar Ji."

Hari Singh Nalwa replied, "O sister! I am already married. I am sorry I cannot marry you or give you what you want."

Bano's eyes welled up with tears of disappointment. About to leave, she said, "I had heard your Guru Nanak was great and that no one leaves empty handed from Guru Nanak's House, but today I am being turned away without the wish of a son being fulfilled."

Hari Singh Nalwa, a true example of a Sikh of the Guru, replied, "It is true that no one goes empty handed from Guru Nanak's House. I cannot give you a son, but if you desire a son who is like me, then instead if you accept, from now on I will be your son, and I will consider you my mother."

Bano was shocked and overwhelmed by Hari Singh Nalwa's sincerity, high moral character and faith in the Guru. She said, "I had heard that Sikhs of the Guru are great honorable people, but today I have witnessed it with my own eyes".

From that day on Hari Singh Nalwa addressed Begum Bano as "Maa" (Mother) and she addressed Hari Singh as "Putar" (Son).

Naanak sohagan kaa ki-aa chihan hai andar sach mukh ujlaa khasmai maahi samaa-ay. ||1||

O Nanak, what is the character of the happy soul-bride? Within her, is Truth; her face is bright and radiant, and she is absorbed in her Lord and Master. ||1||

-Guru Granth Sahib Ji 785

Source: http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Hari_Singh_Nalwa_%26_Begum_Bano

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"Vaheguru Ji" - a piece written by one of our very own Bhainji's. 

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Amritvela

Amrit Vela. The Ambrosial time.

We have been gifted with the opportunity for Amrit Vela, one of many tools, as a means of becoming closer with Vaheguru. Countless times in Gurbani, we are told of the importance of Amrit Vela. As Sikhs of our Guru, each day we are given an opportunity and Guru Sahib Ji asks for our head – so do we submit ourselves with love and rise each day to recite and meditate during Amrit Vela?

a(n)mrith vaelaa sach naao vaddiaaee veechaar ||

In the Amrit Vaylaa, the ambrosial hours before dawn, chant the True Name, and contemplate His Glorious Greatness.

(Japji Sahib)

sifath salaahan a(n)mrith vaelaa

Ambrosial hours are the correct time for His praise.

(Vaars Bhai Gurdaas on Pannaa 7)